Match 20965 Emerald Empress vs. Beholder

[JohnnyChany]

 

I'VE GOT MY EYE ON YOU!!

 

 

Deep beneath the surface of an alien world, in the twisting labyrinth of the Underdark, shadows reigned supreme. Bioluminescent fungi sprinkled across the cavern floor and jagged rocks emerged from every corner. The air was stale and mostly silent except for the faint sounds of creatures moving across the stone. The Fatal Five had ventured into this abyss in search of an ancient artifact, one that the Emerald Empress believed would give them an insurmountable advantage over their adversaries, the Legion of Superheroes. It was the Orb of Dragonkind which had the ability to summon and control various dragons of immense power and harness their power.

The Emerald Empress led the group in their voyage for the orb inside the caverns. The glowing Eye of Ekron hovered alongside her, emitting a green light that pierced through the darkness. Behind her trailed the other members of the Fatal Five: Tharok, Persuader, Validus, and Mano.

"We need to find that orb quickly and leave this place,"  stated Tharok. He scanned the cave head with his cybernetic eye. “I don’t like it here.”

"I feel like we're being watched," Mano whispered. "Down here, everything has eyes including the walls."

"Do not worry," the Emerald Empress said calmly. “The Eye will see us through."

The Eye of Ekron pulsed and sent a ripple of green light down the corridor. Several of the creatures hidden in the cracks and crevices scattered like insects exposed to a flame.

"Stay close," the Empress ordered,  "The dark down here isn’t just darkness, it is alive. If it swallows you, you might not come back."

With a flick of her wrist, she sent the Eye of Ekron ahead and illuminated a twisting path.

Suddenly, a swarm of tiny, pale creatures with needle-like teeth descended from the ceiling. Their glowing eyes gleamed hungrily as they lunged toward the group, A horrible screeching sound echoed through the caverns.

"Pathetic," the Emerald Empress hissed. 

With a thought, she commanded the Eye. Green energy surged forward from the eye and washed over the swarm like a tidal wave. In a light flash, the swarm disintegrated into green ash and fell harmlessly to the floor.

"That takes care of those pests," Mano remarked.

"Yeah, but what about the bigger ones?" Persuader grunted. “I feel like this place is crawling with things even bigger than us."

The Empress smiled coolly. "There are more dangerous creatures here to be sure, But, let them come. We are getting that orb."

As they moved deeper into the cavern, the walls narrowed, pressing in on all sides. Strange sigils, carved into the stone by ancient hands, began to glow faintly. It was a warning, perhaps, or a curse.

Then they found themselves at the entrance of a great chamber. In the center of the room stood a massive, jagged pedestal, and upon it rested the Orb of Dragonkind.

"There it is," Tharok declared.

But as soon as they stepped forward, there was a change in the air. A cold wind blew through the cavern, and the sound of heavy breathing..

The Emerald Empress narrowed her eyes. "Something's here."

“Some type of guardian of the orb?” Persuader wondered. 

A massive figure floated in from the darkness. A Beholder. Its large, spherical body hovered a few feet from the ground and was covered in scaly, leathery flesh. From the top of its head sprouted ten writhing eye stalks, each ending in a gleaming orb that shifted and swiveled independently. Its central, singular eye fixed on the group, and a mouth full of jagged teeth split into a hideous grin.

"Intruders…" the Beholder hissed with malice. "You have come to steal what is not yours to take?"

The Emerald Empress glared up at the monstrosity. "It will be ours. Out of our way."

The mindless beast, Validus, ran at the Beholder, determined to take it down with his incredible strength. One of the Beholder’s eye stalks glowed, and a ray of petrification shot toward Validus turning the brute into stone. 

"Scatter!" shouted Tharok.

Already angered, Persuader charged at the Beholder with his Atomic Axe. Before he could swing, the Beholder blasted him with a paralyzing ray from one of its other eye stalks. Persuader’s muscles locked up.

“I can’t move!”

The Beholder then shot a disintegration ray at Persuader. The Emerald Empress quickly raised her hand toward the Eye of Ekron. Green energy surged outward and collided with the Beholder’s ray causing a burst of light.

“If I can get close enough I can disintegrate that thing with my hands,” declared Mano.

“Approaching me will only bring about your destruction, surface-dweller,” The Beholder hissed. “I will enjoy picking your mind apart piece by piece.”

The Beholder fired a death ray from another one of its eye stalks. The Emerald Empress used the Eye of Ekron to create a shield around Mano protecting him from the blasts.

“There is nothing that can save you now, you disgusting thing,” Mano threatened.

“You reek of arrogance and it will be your undoing,” the Beholder shot back.

The Beholder focused its central eye on Mano and emitted an antimagic cone that created ripples in the air and disintegrated the magical protective shield around Mano. 

“The antimagic cone,” the Emerald Empress whispered. She knew she would have to keep the Eye of Ekron out of the Beholder’s central eye purview.

The Beholder had a realization that it was being distracted and hit Mano with a quick sleep ray so that it could concentrate on the one it viewed as the biggest threat, the Emerald Empress. However, one of its eye stalks caught a quick glimpse of Tharok nearing the orb. The Beholder turned its full attention toward the thieving cyborg.

“Nooo!!”

The Beholder fired multiple rays toward Tharok, but was struck by an energy construct made by the Eye of Ekron.

“Tharok, grab the orb and get out of here,” the Emerald Empress called out. “I will dispose of this vile monster and the others should revert to normal.”

[Callisto]

Learn More About
Emerald Empress
Read more about Emerald Empress at Wikipedia
Official Site: DC Comics Links: Wikipedia

Beholder
Read more about Beholder at Wikipedia
Official Site: Wizards of the Coast Links: Wikipedia

[Mercenaryblade]

Heh, I added both of these characters to the database. 

I'm going with the Empress.